Samsung Mobile Philippines Launches Galaxy Note 3 and Gear

Samsung Philippines has finally launched the devices most of Android fans have been waiting for – Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy Gear. Both of these devices were launched at SM Aura Premier last September 26. The launch event that Samsung hosted was attended by notable celebrities and media from different news agencies and websites.

The follow-up iteration to last year’s Galaxy Note 2 was introduced along with Galaxy Gear. Both devices are better used together as demoed by Samsung Electronics Product Marketing Head, Coco Domingo and Product Marketing Manager, Adriene Rivera.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Officially announced in September 5 at IFA Berlin, Galaxy Note 3 boasts a huge hardware upgrade compared to its predecessor. The device is quite slimmer but it has a wider wider (5.7inch) full HD Super AMOLED display. The new Note is lighter too at 168g. It’s more powerful too at 2.3 Ghz Quad-Core processor and a whopping 3GB RAM.

Note 3 is also equipped with a 13 megapixel rear camera with Smart Stabilization and high CRI LED flash. This nables users to crisply capture every visual story in their lives, even in low light and active situations. Samsung GALAXY Note 3 offers the latest LTE technologies – CAT4 Carrier Aggregation and supports the greatest number of multiple frequencies.

The new Note noticeably looks more premium than its predecessors too. It sports a faux leather back casing with delicate stitching and elegantly designed side metal housing.

Android 4.3 with the new TouchWiz for Note 3 supercharged the device. The new features of the said OS simply supercharged the device and its redesigned S-Pen. A simple click of the S Pen button while hovering over the screen introduces users to Air Command, a palette of five powerful features that truly make tasks easier and faster. With the Air Command feature, there is no need to toggle between screens, memorize commands or look up different menus. Take a look at the video below to see the device and its features:

Take a look at the comparison chart below to see the differences between Galaxy Note 2 and Galaxy Note 3.

Here are some hands-on photos:

It’s currently available at Samsung’s Concept stores nationwide for PhP36,900. It’s available in 2 colors – black & white. Later this year, Samsung will make the pink version available.

Galaxy Gear

The connected device/watch, Galaxy Gear, was also launched last Thursday. The Galaxy Gear is essentially a watch but enhanced with mobile communication features. It can function independently as watch, but it’s together with a Galaxy device such as Galaxy Note 3.

Galaxy Gear notifies users of incoming messages, such as calls, texts, emails and alerts, delivers a preview of those messages and creates the opportunity for users to accept or discreetly ignore those messages. When an incoming message requires more than a quick glance, users can simply pick up their Samsung GALAXY devices and the Smart Relay feature will instantly reveal the full content on the screen.

As demoed during the launch, a single swipe down on the device’s 1.6- inch super AMOLED display will enable the watch to take a picture via its 1.9 MP camera. The photo will then be transferred to the paired mobile device. The device also uses S-Voice (yes, it also has a speaker and mic), which allows users to conduct hands-free calls directly from the Gear.

The GALAXY Gear experience can be further personalized by selecting from six colors that will be available at launch: Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Wild Orange, Oatmeal Beige, Rose Gold, and Lime Green. It’s currently being sold for PhP13,900.

The Fat Kid Inside Blogger, Erwan Heussaf, as Brand Ambassador

Celebrity blogger and brother of Solenn Heussaf, Erwan Heussaf, graced the event as the latest brand ambassador of the Galaxy line. He said that both Galaxy Note 3 and Gear are formidable devices to help everyone deliver productive output. A video of him using the devices’ features was shown during the launch.

Stay tuned as we already requested Samsung to provide us a review unit. We have a Galaxy Note 2 and we just can’t wait to test it side by side the Galaxy Note 3!

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Giancarlo Viterbo is a Filipino Technology Journalist, blogger and Editor of GadgetPilipinas.net, He is also a Geek, Dad and a Husband. He knows a lot about washing the dishes, doing some errands and following instructions from his boss on his day job. Follow him on twitter: @gianviterbo and @gadgetpilipinas.